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A Dhaka court has ordered a case against three people, including Awami League Advisory Council Member and veteran politician Tofail Ahmed, in a case over the embezzlement of Tk 12.5 million two decades ago.

Dhaka Divisional Special Judge Begum Shamima Afroz ordered the indictment of the suspects in the case on Thursday.

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Prosecutor Ishtiaq Hossain said the judge had set Jun 22 as a date for the hearing of witness testimony.

The other two suspects are Mohammad Anwarul Islam and Mosharraf Hossain.

Of the three accused, Mosharraf appeared in court on bail. Arrest warrants have been issued against the other two as they are absconding.

ACC counsel Ishtiaq said, “We held a hearing on the framing of charges on behalf of the ACC. The lawyer of Mosharraf Hossain, who is out on bail, asked for him to be dropped from the case.

“As two of the suspects were absconding, their plea was not heard. Later, the court ordered the framing of charges against the three accused.”

The court also registered the application for a mental examination of the accused Tofail on Thursday.

Previously, his lawyer Khaer Uddin Sikder had filed the application on Tuesday, informing the court about his illness.

The application said, “Tofail Ahmed has been ill for a long time and is undergoing treatment at the intensive care unit at Square Hospital. That is why he could not appear in court. The reality is, Tofail Ahmed does not recognise anyone.

“He has no memory. He is physically unable to appear in court and participate in the proceedings of the case. He has mental illness and memory loss.”

The court had set Thursday as the day for the order in this regard.

Regarding the situation, ACC counsel Ishtiaq said: “The court asked Tofail Ahmed’s lawyer to come, as per the procedure. The court said, the case is long overdue. We have to move forward.”

The case was filed in 2002 by Kazi Shamsul Islam, then an inspector of the ACC, over allegations of misappropriating Tk 12.5 million.

According to the case statement, Tofail abused his power to transfer and withdraw the funds through associates to conceal illegally obtained money.

It alleges that Anwarul, chief accountant of Madonna Advertising Limited, and Mosharraf of Bhola acted in collusion, transferring the money from Sonali Bank’s Motijheel Corporate Branch at different times before it was withdrawn.

After an investigation, a chargesheet was submitted against the three suspects.

Proceedings in the case had remained suspended for years following a High Court order after the Awami League returned to power.

Bench assistant Ariful Islam said the trial has resumed after the stay order was lifted.

He noted that arrest warrants were issued on Apr 19 as two of the people involved in the case remained absconding, with the charge hearing scheduled for that day.

On Tuesday, the defence submitted that Tofail has long been unwell and is undergoing treatment in intensive care at Square Hospital in Dhaka, making it impossible for him to appear in court.

The petition added that he cannot recognise people, has no memory and is physically incapable of standing trial due to mental decline.

The Anti-Corruption Commission, however, opposed the plea, arguing that such applications are not admissible while the accused remains absconding and must be filed in person, Ariful said.

Health Condition

The 82-year-old politician has been battling age-related complications for several years and was hospitalised in late September last year, sparking rumours of his death at the time.

On Sept 28, 2025, Square Hospital’s CEO Yousuf Siddique told bdnews24.com that Tofail had been admitted for four days and was in critical condition in the coronary care unit (CCU).

Family members of the 60s star student politician said he has been using a wheelchair for a few years.

A stroke left one side of his body paralysed, and with his left arm and leg becoming numb, he has been unable to move independently.

Political Career

Born on Oct 22, 1943, in Bhola’s Koralia village in the Sadar Upazila, Tofail studied at Brajamohan College in Barishal before completing his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in soil science at Dhaka University.

A leading figure in student politics in the 1960s, he served as vice-president of the Dhaka University Central Students Union during the turbulent 1968-69 period and convened the All-Party Student Action Committee.

He played a key role in the 1969 Mass Uprising.

Following the movement, the Pakistani regime was forced to release Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and all other accused in the Agartala Conspiracy Case.

At a rally at the Racecourse Maidan, now Suhrawardy Udyan, on Feb 23 that year, Sheikh Mujib was conferred the title “Bangabandhu”, which was announced by Tofail.

A nine-time member of parliament, Tofail was elected on an Awami League ticket in 1970 and served as one of the four regional chiefs of the Mujib Bahini during the 1971 Liberation War.

Most recently, he represented the Bhola-1 constituency.

Having served as the Awami League’s organisational secretary for a long time and later as a member of the Presidium, he is currently a member of the party’s Advisory Council.

In 1972, the then prime minister Sheikh Mujib appointed him as his political secretary with the rank of a state minister.

When the Awami League returned to power in 1996, Sheikh Hasina appointed him as the minister for industries and commerce, and he later served as the commerce minister from 2014 to 2019.